"After a national search, the Burley Tobacco Growers Cooperative (Co-op) Board has selected Brian Furnish as the new general manager for the 85-year-old commodity organization. In an interview with Business Lexington agriculture columnist Kara Keeton, Furnish talks about the challenges and opportunities ahead in working with the Board as the Co-op redefines the organization's role to its members and in the industry.
The interview has been edited for space. Find the complete conversation as a BizCast online at www.bizlex.com
KK: Let's start with your history and tell me about your involvement in agriculture.
BF: I grew up on a family farm in Harrison County, Ky., raising a considerable amount of tobacco, and we had a beef and dairy cattle operation. When I left the farm, I went to college at Eastern Kentucky University and got my bachelor's degree in agriculture with a minor in business.
I went to work for Griffin Industries, which is a rendering company in northern Kentucky, and after a year took a job with the Burley Co-op. I started out in leaf process doing special projects with growers.
Then in Washington, the tobacco buyout discussions started to heat up with the release of the President's Tobacco Report. So I spent the majority of my last three years at the Burley Co-op working in Washington on the tobacco buyout issue, and working with health groups and congress on drafting legislation.
After Governor Fletcher and Commissioner Farmer were elected, I was asked to take over as executive director of marketing and product promotion there with Richie in the Department of Agriculture. I did that for about five months, and then I was offered the position at the Governor's Office of Agriculture Policy, overseeing state-funded projects that went before the state Agriculture Development Board.
KK: In that role, the Ag Development Board was working to diversify away from tobacco. Tell me a little about some of the program you have worked with here in the state to help our farmers transition with the loss of the federal tobacco program.
BF: The projects we worked with range from helping local farmers with cattle handling facilities and genetics all the way to helping develop biodiesel plants and working with the Kentucky Proud branding program.
I think we are the envy of other states, not only for putting our Phase I money aside for agriculture, but also in branding our Kentucky Proud products the way we have been able to do it here in the state. We now have a lot of other states calling to ask how we did that, so it has been a good success and good story we need to continue to impress upon our general population.
KK: So you left the Governor's Office this summer.
BF: Yes, July 1. I left the Governor's Office pretty much to run a small consulting business as well as run my farming operation and my other businesses.
KK: I know you have quite a large farming operation and that within itself would keep you busy, so what was it that brought you back to the Co-op to apply for the position of general manager?
BF: It is a position that I always thought I would be good at, and I've always wanted to have the opportunity to try. My love was for tobacco and the tobacco farmer. Tobacco still has a role here in Kentucky. If you look at the net income, it is still our top cash crop when it comes to a per acre basis.
I thought that the Co-op needed to change its focus a little bit to be more like the farmers we are representing today. And me being a young farmer and being in the public policy role, I feel like I'm a good choice for the position to change the direction of the Burley Co-op.
KK: They did a national search and you were hired as the general manager. What was it that you presented to the Board as your ideas for the future of the Co-op?
BF: I think I presented my passion and vision for moving the Co-op forward. There has been a lot of the negative publicity surrounding the Co-op since the buyout took place, and I explained to them how I think I can bring back a positive attitude and atmosphere to the Co-op, as well as new ideas they have never thought about before. You know, the co-op membership and farmers these days don't rely just on tobacco for their income. They rely on many other ways, such as off-farm income and diversified efforts such as cattle, horticulture, hydroponics and aquaculture. There are a lot of different ways to generate income.
KK: I know there has been some turmoil with the Co-op over the last several years. There are some people out there that believe that now the federal program is gone, there is no need for the Co-op to continue; those farmers should just take part in the free market system that exists now. What is your response to that?
BF: If you look at the history of the Co-op, the Co-op was formed by a group of growers before there even was a federal program. And so back in the '30s, the farmers saw the need and said we need to come together and have a voice for tobacco and agriculture in the state. It just so happened that several years later, the federal program was formed, and the Co-op was the obvious one to administer the program, but Co-op represents many other things when it comes to policy and lobbying efforts in being the voice for tobacco farmers.
And so now without the federal program, it could be more important than ever before to have that voice to lead us forward into the future. We are going to have much fewer numbers of members than before, now that the quota has been done away with, and so it is going to be important to consolidate our membership and speak with one voice, and I think we can do that.
KK: One of the issues, of course, that has surrounded the Burley Co-op over the last several years has been the lawsuit. I think we would be remiss if we didn't at least address the issue. I know the final ruling has not gone out yet from Judge Goodwine. Can you tell me a little bit about the lawsuit and where the Co-op stands currently?
BF: I don't know all the details with it because I haven't been involved with it, but it appears that the Co-op will get to keep the assets they had before the buyout occurred. The judge has ruled on that and has ruled that the money that came in through FETRA (Fair and Equitable Tobacco Reform Act), the federal buyout, has to be disbursed to our members over a period of time. It looks like the Co-op will get to keep enough assets to move forward and our growers will get some type of disbursement within the next year or two.
KK: As I said, at this time the final ruling has not been made, so at this time that money is still tied up in the lawsuit, FETRA money, and the disbursement will not be made until the final ruling comes down.
BF: Yes, then after the ruling is made, both sides have 30 days to appeal her ruling and opinion. Depending on what the appeals process is, we could still be tied up for a long time with these funds.
KK: As you move forward and walk into this new position, what is it you want to do to help explain to the public? Tobacco even here in Kentucky, it is not looked on favorably, but in turn, our tobacco community has been a core part of agriculture throughout the years. It was here before Kentucky became a state, so how do you see your role in changing the public opinion of the tobacco farmers here in the state?
BF: Well, the way I look at it, as farmers we are raising a legal crop. It is going to be raised somewhere in the world. We have the safest production methods, follow the strictest standards; we have to follow certain chemical and pesticide regulations and no other country is doing that.
If it is a legal crop and we are raising a superior product, we ought to be able to make a living off of it, because somewhere in the world, it is going to be raised and smoked. So there is no reason as a farmer we shouldn't have that opportunity.
We don't promote smoking or using tobacco products. We have actually worked with health groups like the American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, and Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids to try to pass FDA regulation of tobacco. We think that is favorable to us as tobacco farmers, because there are substantial amounts of tobacco coming into this country and being consumed. And the consumer thinks it is good American tobacco, but it isn't. It doesn't have to meet the standards that we have to meet here, so FDA regulation could help us meet the new guidelines quicker than any grower in the world; we can adjust to change better than anyone.
We support health and things to support our citizens, but it is a legal crop, so why not work with us farmers to create a better product? And that is what we are trying to do.
KK: Well, best of luck in your new position, Brian.
BF: Thank you, and thanks for having me.